Petunia plant named ‘Kirimaji Double White’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Kirimaji Double White’, characterized by its low mounding cascading to prostrate plant habit; freely branching growth habit; early and freely flowering habit; white-colored semi-double flowers; and good weather tolerance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Petunia hybrida cultivar Kirimaji Double White.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kirimaji Double White’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new double Petunia cultivars that have stronger growth and attractive flower coloration.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in March, 1999, in Tochigi, Japan, of an unnamed proprietary selection of Petunia, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Petunia cultivar Double Cascade Pink, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Tochigi, Japan, in July, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its strong plant growth habit and attractive flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Tochigi, Japan, since July, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Kirimaji Double White have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Kirimaji Double White’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kirimaji Double White’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia:

1. Low mounding cascading to prostrate plant habit.

2. Freely branching growth habit.

3. Early and freely flowering habit.

4. White-colored semi-double flowers.

5. Good weather tolerance; tolerant to wind, rain, and low and high temperatures.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parent, the unnamed proprietary Petunia selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the female parent primarily in flower form as plants of the female parent had single flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Double Cascade Pink. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Petunia were not as upright and had slightly smaller flowers than plants of the cultivar Double Cascade Pink. In addition, plants of the cultivar Double Cascade Pink had pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new cultivar can be compared to plants of the cultivar Doubloon White Star, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the cultivar Doubloon White Star in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia had slightly smaller flowers than plants of the cultivar Doubloon White Star.

2. Petal apices of plants of the new Petunia were somewhat rounded whereas petal apices of plants of the cultivar Doubloon White Star were pointed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Kirimaji Double White’. The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Kirimaji Double White’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were grown in containers and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring in Santa Paula, Calif. in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse. Plants used for the photographs and the description were about nine weeks from planting rooted young plants. During the production period, day temperatures ranged from 20 to 35° C., night temperatures ranged from 10 to 20° C., and light levels ranged from 20 to 40 klux.

Botanical classification: Petunia hybrida cultivar Kirimaji Double White.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of Petunia hybrida, not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Petunia hybrida cultivar Double Cascade Pink, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 3 days at 25° C. Winter: About 5 days at 23° C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 21 days at 25° C. Winter: About 23 days at 25° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; low mounding cascading to prostrate plant habit; dense and bushy appearance.

Plant height (from soil level to top of plant plane).—About 9 cm.

Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 55 cm.

Growth rate.—Relatively rapid.

Branching habit.—Freely basal branching, about 20 lateral branches per plant; lateral branches develop at potentially every node; pinching is typically not required.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 32 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 1 to 1.5 cm. Orientation: Initially upright, then horizontal. Texture: Pubescent; short, fine hairs. Strength: Strong, but flexible. Color: 145C.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical. Arrangement: Alternate before flowering, then opposite. Length: About 4 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Shape: Broadly elliptic. Apex: Broadly acute to rounded. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate; arcuate. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 146A. Young foliage, lower surface: 146B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper surface: 144B. Venation, lower surface: 145B to 145C. Petiole length: About 8 mm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole color: 145B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Flowers face upright or outward; semi-double flower form; solitary and axillary; salverform. Freely flowering habit, about 14 to 18 flowers and flower buds per lateral stem. Flowers persistent.

Fragrance.—Moderate; sweet, spicy.

Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn; flowering continuous during this period.

Time to flower.—Early flowering; plants begin flowering about two weeks after planting.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About 10 days.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 6.25 cm. Length (height): About 3.8 cm. Tube length: About 2.2 cm. Tube diameter, base: About 4 mm.

Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 2.8 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape: Obovate. Color: 145C.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Outer whorl of about six to eight petals fused at base and surrounding inner whorl of about 12 petals. Petal length, outer and inner whorls of petals: About 2.4 cm. Petal width: Outer whorl of petals: About 2.2 cm. Inner whorl of petals: About 1.75 cm. Petal shape: Spatulate. Petal apex: Rounded, slightly sinuate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Petal surface: Ruffled. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: 155B; venation, 144C. Petal, when opening, lower surface: 155A; venation, 144C. Petal, opened flower, upper surface: 155D; venation, close to 70A. Petal, opened flower, lower surface: 155C; venation, 144C. Flower throat (inside): 155A; venation, more gray than 70A. Flower tube (outside): 157C; venation, 144C.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals fused at base; star-shaped. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly coarse; pubescent. Color: Upper surface: 146B. Lower surface: 146C.

Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: About 45° from stem. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About 12 per flower. Anther shape: Oval. Anther size: About 2 mm by 2.5 mm. Anther color: 158B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 158A. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1.4 cm. Stigma shape: Anvil-shaped. Stigma color: 144C. Style length: About 7 mm. Style color: 144D. Ovary color: 144A.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia.

Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Petunia are tolerant to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate temperatures from 3 to 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Kirimaji Double White’, as illustrated and described. 